Your friends course of action?

[tacman605]

With several other topics running with posts regarding training, 2A rights, mandated courses and so on I just wondered what others would do or think in this situation.

You and one of your family members (wife, husband, child, mother whatever insert your own) and a friend are out eating in a restaurant. You and your friend are both carrying a weapon in any manner you see fit, CC/OC. You know your skill level what you can or cannot do with a firearm but you also know your friends skill level. He took his course that required no training, he does not shoot on his own, he has not fired his weapon in the two months since he bought it and he had no prior firearms training he just got it to get it to scare the bad guys away but he is your friend.

You leave to go to the bathroom and you hear screams. As you exit you find your family member has been taken hostage by a gun wielding robber. You are not in any position to take the any shot in anyway but your friend is. He is standing 7 yards from the gunman with his weapon out shakingly pointing it at the head of the gunman and your family member.

What do you do? What do you want your friend to do? Remember the last time you two went shooting on the range? He shot out the overhead light while drawing from his holster but he is practicing his 2A rights. How much is that liberty worth to you right now?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[glockman10mm]

At this point, tell everyone to be cool, get the friend to sit down, and offer myself for the family member. Tell the robber that if he wants money, I have some in the car, and try to get him to take me to the car for the alleged money. Then let it play out and go with the flow.

Main goal here is to save lives, and get the danger away from my family and my friend , the shakiest gun in the west.

[Harryball]

I actually have a friend like the one you described. My reaction to this would be to create some sort of distraction, while getting to a place to take a shot. I understand Gmans reaction. I just do not think the bad guy will take me, rather than my loved one....

[NC Bullseye]

First thought is to shoot myself for letting someone I consider a friend to carry with the total lack of skills to properly handle a self defense situation. That said, to address the scenario, I agree with glockman, get the friend to calm down and hopefully do it without getting the original threat anymore anxious.

As to who to target for defensive action, seems that you have two threats to your family, one that is less than arms length and focused on your family member, and another that is further and not specifically targeting your family but is still a major risk. Work on neutralizing the closest threat first. Move if possible and evolve with the situation.

[tacman605]

All good answers.
Harry let me ask you this, knowing your friend the way you do what if he took the shot and missed? Would you blame him for surpassing his skill level or yourself for not encouraging/teaching?

I guess the question I am asking both myself and others at what point do we take responsibility for others actions/training/skillset? At some point in life our lives and those of our loved ones are in the hands of others.

[MitchellCT]

What do you do? What do you want your friend to do? Remember the last time you two went shooting on the range? He shot out the overhead light while drawing from his holster but he is practicing his 2A rights. How much is that liberty worth to you right now?

Everyone wants to talk liberty...

Nobody wants to talk responsibility...

How much is his liberty worth to me...the same as he put into his responsibility to me...

[tacman605]

Mitchell very good...Responsibility the forgotten attribute.

[zonker1986]

Gman pretty much nailed it. Diffuse, and try to get the BG outside if possible.....and tell your friend to lay off the caffeine.

[AlexHassin]

Wish about 18 times that I had done lunch with my mom and not this friend.
Then, try to act the part of a crisis negotiator. Try to defuse the situation, with both the friend and the hostage taker. Sort of a already up a well know tributary without a method of transport at that point but just do the best I can.
If it all ends up well, I would say its time to have a long hard talk with that friend.

[64zebra]

Everyone wants to talk liberty...

Nobody wants to talk responsibility...

How much is his liberty worth to me...the same as he put into his responsibility to me...

yep

[OldVet]

Tell everyone to "Be cool" with your best Samuel Jackson imitation.

[Harryball]

All good answers.
Harry let me ask you this, knowing your friend the way you do what if he took the shot and missed? Would you blame him for surpassing his skill level or yourself for not encouraging/teaching?

I guess the question I am asking both myself and others at what point do we take responsibility for others actions/training/skillset? At some point in life our lives and those of our loved ones are in the hands of others.

The friend I speak of is a very good individual. At some point in all of our lives we have to "man up", this would be his moment. If he missed I would hope by that time that im in position to take the shot. I am a firm believer in carrying a weapon and training with that weapon for the worse case scenario. Praying the whole time that it will never happen, but training for it to happen.

Knowing what I know about him, I have worked with him on some of these issues and to be honest, he is coming around. We as husbands, fathers, Grandfathers etc...cant always be there. It pains me to think of any of my loved ones being in that situation and me not being right there. However my friend may have just bought me time, and may have saved the life of my loved one. With no stats on how BGs act in all situations, I personally believe that the plan of action I would take would work. I would take his action and turn it into reaction.

[ksholder]

All good stuff so far, but who is checking around the room to make sure that he is a loner?

[atctimmy]

I scream "CUT!" at the top of my lungs and this B movie comes to an end.



If that doesn't work I put in a really fast call to my insurance agent and have them bump up the coverage on my family member.

[Harryball]

I scream "CUT!" at the top of my lungs and this B movie comes to an end.



If that doesn't work I put in a really fast call to my insurance agent and have them bump up the coverage on my family member.

Isnt this where you say, go ahead and take her...